Nervous System Flashcards
Dendrites
Projections of nerve cell body
Detect information and translate to cell body
Help cells communicate with each other
Axon
Long “chain”
Facilitates communication between nervous system and skeletal muscles
Schwann Cells
Support cells
Surrounds axon, protects axon, provides axon with nourishment and waste removal
Node of Ranvier
Gaps between Schwann Cells
Speed up and facilitate signal delivery from the cell body to the muscle fibers
Myelin Sheath
Acts like insulation on a wire.
Promotes strong signal translation
Neuron Cell Body
Nerve Cell
Life Span of a Neuron
Decades
Multipolar Neuron
Many dendrites and an axon
Bipolar Neuron
One dendrite and an axon
Unipolar Neuron
No dendrites and an axon
Glial Cells
Outnumber neurons 50:1 in body
“Glue”
6 types
Oligodendrocytes
Location: CNS
Function: Forms myelin in brain and spinal cord
Ependymal Cells
Location: CNS
Function: Line brain/spinal cord, secretes cerebrospinal fluid
Microglia
Location: CNS
Function: Destroy microorganisms, foreign matter, and waste
Astrocytes
Location: CNS
Function: Nourish neurons
